Peace and prosperity, built with a post-war constitution as the cornerstone

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The Mainichi Shimbun recently reported that Crown Prince Naruhito, at a press conference on his 55th birthday on Monday, called for handing down history correctly, ahead of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II later this year: “I myself have not experienced the war, but it is important to look back to the past humbly and correctly pass down tragic experiences and the history behind Japan to the generations who have no direct knowledge of the war, at a time memories of the war is about to fade”. He described postwar Japan: “enjoying peace and prosperity after it was built with the Japanese Constitution as the cornerstone.”

“I hope this year will be an opportunity to take the preciousness of peace to heart and renew our determination to pursue peace,” he said.

He added that he was “deeply hurt” by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and terrorism that has taken lives including those of Japanese.

As we have noted before on this site, the constitution, which has been taken to heart by the Japanese people, includes the radical Article 9:

ARTICLE 9. Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes.(2) To accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.